Mechanical toy



Patented Nov. 2, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Konrad Giitz, Forth, Germany o Application March 19,1937, Serial No. 131,821 In Germany July 29, 1936 l 3 claims.) (01. 46-120) This invention relates to a mechanical toy which is distinguished from toys of similar type in that a spring-motor actuatesa toothed segment which, in turn moves forward thrust racks sand releases them, said racks actuating a reversing mechanism by which figures arriving in their extreme positions are turned by 180 degrees. Simultaneously therewith another figure situated in the middle of the toy is likewise turned by 180 by means of toothed segments actuated by said racks.

The invention is illustrated diagrammatically and by way of example on the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through a mechanical toy according to this invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1, the spring motor and some other parts being omitted.

Fig. 3 shows in top plan view the toothed sector in mesh with the racks.

Fig. 4 is a cross section on an enlarged scale.

From the bottom plate I of the casing of the toy supports 2 are formed which carry horizontal rods 3. Plates 6, 6 are shiftably mounted on the rods 3 by means of downwardly directed lugs i. These plates have teeth 5 on a certain portion of their length. A toothed sector 8 driven by a spring motor I shifts these plates 6, 6 alternately, one of the plates being shifted while the other one is at rest and inversely. The teeth of the sector plate 8 engage with or disengage from the teeth 5 of the shiftable plates 6, 6 Compression springs 9 encompassing the corresponding rod 3 are compressed by the shifted plates 6 or 6 Each plate 6, 6 has at one of its ends an inwardly directed arm Ill, each arm carrying two upwardly directed lugs II having each a horizontal slot in which a rack I3 shiftably engages. One of each pair of lugs II has a small horizontal projection I2. A vertical shaft (Fig. 1) carries a pinion I4 meshing with the adjacent rack I3. On the top end of each vertical shaft I 4 a figure I6, for instance amouse is mounted. These figures can be rotated 180, as hereinafter described.

After the spring-motor has been wound up, the toothed sector disc 8 rotates and meshes alternately with the teeth 5 of the one and the" other of plates 8, 6 whereby now the one and then the other of the figures I6 is turned by-180" through the movement of the plates I0.

In the middle portion of the casing a transverse bridge-plate II (Figs. 1, 2, and 4) is fixed which has a downwardly directed lug I8 serving as abutment for the racks I3 when these arrive at the end of their inward travel. When one of the racks I3 contacts with the abutment I8, its end is pushed back and rotates the corresponding pinion I4 and thereby the figure I6 mounted on 5 the vertical axle. The teeth of the sector disc 8 have then come out of mesh with the teeth 5 of the corresponding plate 6 or 6 and the previously compressed spring 9 of this plate is thereby released so that it can press this plate back into 10 its initial position. y

In order to prevent that this takes place before the figure I6 has turned through 180, the sector 8 has a downwardly bent lug I8 adapted to bear against a stop I9. The compressed spring 9 is released when lug I8 has moved away from stop I9. As soon as lug I8 has left the stop I 9 the rod I5 is thrown back into its initial position by the action of spring 9 and the figure I6 is moved back into the position from which it has been turned.

Blade springs 20 or other elements serving as stops are fixed on the bottom plate I of the casing and designed to push back the corresponding rack I3 as soon as it has struck against the blade spring 20. The pinion I4 with the axle on which the figure I6 is mounted is thereby rotated and the figure turned back into the initial position. The shifting devices operate alternately so that when the one device is in the inoperative position the other device begins to operate, this continuing until the spring motor has run down.

In order to make the toy still more attractive,

a third figure 22 representing in the example shown a cat which seems to lie in wait for the 5 mice, is afiixed on an axle 23, the lower end of which carries a rim of teeth 24 (Fig. 2), meshing with internal teeth of an oscillatably mounted sector 25, a pivot 25 of which (Figs. 3 and 4) extends through a slot in bridge IT. The toothed sector 8 has an upwardly directed lug 21. When the downwardly directed lug 26 of toothed sector 25 strikes against lug 2! of toothed sector 8, the figure 22 will be turned by 180.

On bridge I! a second toothed sector 28 (Fig. 2) is oscillatably mounted which meshes likewise with the teeth 24 of axle 23. The sector 28 has a downwardly directed pin 29 guided in a slot of bridge I'I. When the lug 21 of segment 8 contacts with pin 29 of segment 28, it takes this pin along whereby the segment 28, the cog-wheel 24, the axle 23 and the figure 22 are rotated backwards. The turning of the figure 22 takes place in accordance with the turning of the figures I6.

back said bar into the initial position as soon: 7

as it comes out of mesh with said sector, .a lateral arm of each bar, a rack and pinion on said bar, an upwardly directed axle of each pinion, a. figure foi' instance a mouse on the top of each axle, and a resilient stop for each of said last mentioned racks to shift them and rotate its pinand the corresponding figure.

2. A mechanical toy as specified in claim 1, comprising in combination with the spring motor and the elements operated by the same, a casing open at the top, a transverse bridge: fixed on the longitudinal side walls of said casing and extending over said toothed sector and said horizontal bars, the axle of said toothed sector extending through said bridge, a pinion on said axle above said bridge, a figure of an animal such as a cat mounted on the top end of said extended axle, a sector having a wide slot pivotally mounted on said bridge, said slot engaging over said pinion, teeth on the outer edge of said slot meshing with said pinion, a toothed sector pivotally mounted on said bridge opposite said internally toothed sector and meshing with said pinion, a lug upwardly extending from the toothed sector beneath said bridge, and a lug downwardly extending from each of the sectors above said bridge and adapted to cooperate with said. first mentioned lug.

'3. A mechanical toy as specified in claim 1, comprising in combination with the spring -mot'or, said shiftable bars and said racks and pinions actuated by said bar, the vertical axles rotated by said pinions and the vertical axle directly rotatedby the spring motor, the figure of an animal on the top end of each of said vertical axles and said figures alternately rotated by said axles.

KONRAD GoTz. 

